Have a Happy Indigenous Holiday Season: Part 1

It's a good season to be Indigenous! I hope everyone had a safe and happy Turkey Day (or You're Welcome Day, or Thanks-taking day, or Day of Mourning, however you chose to celebrate/not celebrate). I've had an incredibly busy month, which I'm sure you noticed, given the lack of anything up here. But back to the blog!

I often extol the merits of "buying Native" or purchasing from a Native artisan whenever possible, and as the holidays approach, it's a wonderful time to put that ideology into practice. Jessica Metcalfe at Beyond Buckskin has been putting together a fabulous series of posts on the Native artists on Etsy, and I wanted to share some of her resources on here as well. She's going to be continually posting for the rest of the month, so be sure and check back in! (lots more after the jump)

Kris Jenner uses the term "Indian Giver"

(It's a two-post day! omg!)

I just saw this on my Facebook feed and felt the need to share. So for those of you who don't spend 90% of your day reading celebrity gossip blogs (I'm incriminating myself here), Kim Kardashian got married 75 days ago. Her wedding cost anywhere from $10-20 million dollars. She filed for divorce 3 days ago. Now people are speculating whether or not she'll give Kris Humphries (the ex-hubbs) the ring back. And here's what Kim's mom, also named Kris (that's creepy, right?) had to say about it:

"I hate an Indian giver. It's a gift, you know."

This was on Good Morning America, if you were wondering. Awesome, Kris Jenner. Thanks for that. Here's the video clip, the "Indian Giver" line is at 2:58:

There's no real consensus on the etymology of the term "Indian Giver" on the internets, but I thought this was a good summary (source here):

Meaning: 
One who gives a gift but later takes it back.
Origin:
Indian giver derives from the alleged practise of American Indians of taking back gifts from white settlers. It is more likely that the settlers wrongly interpreted the Indians' loans to them as gifts. This term, which is certainly American, may have been coined to denigrate of the native race. Historians would now agree that, where deceit was concerned, it was the settlers who were the front runners. It isn't uncommon, and it could be argued that it is customary, for the conquering race to attempt to justify their invasion by dismissing the conquered as dishonest and stupid.

The phrase is quite early in the history of the the USA. Thomas Hutchinson described the term as proverbial as early as 1765, in his The history of the Province of Massachusetts Bay:

"An Indian gift is a proverbial expression, signifying a present for which an equivalent return is expected."

Basically, I think we can all agree that it's probably not the best term to use to describe a negative act, considering it stereotypes Indians as deceitful and un-generous (not generous?), which, if you've ever been in a Native community, is about the farthest thing from the truth. Ever heard of giveaways? or Potlatches?

The Kardashians don't exactly have an awesome track record with sensitivity towards Native issues. Khloe wore a headdress a few months ago, twice, and for Dancing with the Stars on Halloween, Kourtney (and Mason, her son) wore Indian costumes. Though they claim Native heritage (vomit).

Annoying, right? Also annoying is that currently on Google news there are over 40 articles with "Indian Giver" in the headline. /headdesk

USA Today: Kris Jenner on Kim's Ring 'I hate an Indian giver'

Let's debrief what happened with Halloween

This isn't going to be a story about how I chased some Pocahottie down the street yelling about the history of colonialism and subordination of Native peoples, or how I ripped a headdress off a huge guy and stomped it in the mud in the name of justice (Actually, I did that one time at a football game. Not recommended.). This is me needing to get some stuff off my chest about the way that my series of Halloween posts were received on the internet, the way I approached the issue of Indian Halloween costumes, and how I'll move forward (and do better) from here.

Coast Salish Influences in Seahawks Fan Gear

Welcome guest blogger, and one of my BFF's, Marjorie J (Tulalip and Swinomish), she's a current law student and I've clearly gotten in her head with the Native Appropriations talk. If I've gotten in your head too and you'd like to guest blog about an issue, just send me an email!

I have mixed feelings about The 12th Man design by one of my favorite t-shirt companies, Casual Industrees. I am not sure if the artist is from a Coast Salish tribe, which either heightens or ends the debate. Based on my personal aesthetic alone my first reaction is: this looks awesome. Of course being one of Adrienne's friends and a devoted fan, I question my endorsement after my analysis naturally evolves into larger questions about art, identity, acceptance, and what happens when Native cultures live harmoniously (or at least not so adversely) with others?